Once the top 12 of this season’s American Idol were announced, the fun really began. For the finalists, at least. Here are a handful of tidbits from the Idol celebration that took place Thursday night after the results show:
1. Season four finalist Paris Bennett came to support the Idols. Simon Cowell gave her a big hug and said, “I miss you.” She told Simon about the movie she is going to begin filming next month and the judge mused, “You’ll probably be a big movie star.”
2. Sanjaya Malakar’s highlights are all his. They were put in before the show, not during, by the Idol style team. He said: “I’d be totally willing to cut my hair. I think it would be really fun to just shave it off, but I don’t know if they’ll let me.”
3. Melinda Doolittle and Mandisa from last season are friends. “I love Mandisa. She is one of my favorite people. She sent me flowers and she is so supportive. And she’s just, you know, kind of prayed me through this one, so I am very thankful for her,” said the current favorite.
4. Brandon Rogers got an email from pop singer Anastasia with whom he toured for two years as a backup singer. He also toured with Christina Aguilera, but so far has not heard from her.
5. Stephanie Edwards said the finalists were warned by FOX not to address the Antonella Barba situation. She added: “I love her to death. That was my homegirl that was here so I’m not going to say anything bad about her anyways. I mean, they just don’t want anything negative because everybody doesn’t feel the same way about her. I feel a certain way about her but everybody else may not feel that way and they just don’t want any one to say anything rude, or you know, bad about her. So I understand.”
6. Simon thinks the rant by Rosie O’Donnell about racism was completely without merit: “That’s probably the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard, actually she should apologize for that remark.”
7. Simon believes the Antonella Barba photo scandal will make her more marketable than any of the Top 12: “She’ll make more money than anyone who wins this show. I predict that.”
8. Blake Lewis says don’t look for any skeltons to come out of the closet about him: “You’ll have to search, America. Honestly, no, I don’t think so. I’m pretty open and, you know, I don’t really have anything to hide.”